Roland DG Expands Miyakoda Factory

Hamamatsu, Japan, January 13, 2009. — Roland DG Corporation today announced the completion of its Miyakoda factory expansion.The Miyakoda factory is responsible for producing the company’s best-selling, wide-format inkjet printers for the durable graphics industry.

Roland DG broke ground on the factory expansion in March of 2008 and completed the facility on schedule in November.The factory expansion became operational on December 1st.

The completion of the Miyakoda factory has allowed Roland DG to consolidate its parts warehouse, packing materials warehouse and storage depot for finished products into the company’s primary manufacturing facility. As a result, the company now houses all aspects of its manufacturing operations in one location including parts procurement, production, product packing and shipping.

The expanded factory optimizes the capabilities of the company’s “D-shop” technology, the newest generation of Roland DG’s Digital Yatai production technology. Digital Yatai technology follows an automated cell-based model that enables a single employee to assemble a product from start to finish while preventing human errors and controlling inventories to meet evolving market demands. The new factory expansion builds on this highly efficient system by eliminating the time and resources involved in transporting parts between external warehouses and the Miyakoda factory.

The new expanded digital factory is designed to further reduce the company’s environmental footprint and to protect employees and equipment in the event of an earthquake. To save energy, heat insulated roofing and exterior walls were installed along with an energy efficient air conditioning system. These measures, combined with the elimination of the transportation service between warehouses, will reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions by a total of 40 tons (880,000 lbs.) per year. Like the rest of the Miyakoda factory, the new expansion was constructed according to strict earthquake safety codes. These efforts are in keeping with Roland DG’s corporate values that focus on the safety of employees and environmental conservation.

Roland DG continues to streamline its D-Shop production processes. New technologies have been implemented to automate a number of simple assembly operations, allowing employees to focus on more complex assembly processes requiring manual work. As a result, the new D-shop technology saves assembly time and space. In addition, a separate room was built for the automated assembly area to ensure a clean production environment.

To support future growth Roland DG will continue to improve manufacturing efficiencies and will increase the production capacity of its cutting-edge manufacturing operations.

The new factory expansion		Inside the expanded facility

Roland DG Corporation

Roland DG Corporation is a leading worldwide manufacturer of inkjet devices, milling and engraving machines, vinyl cutters, 3D scanners, a jewelry wax model maker and photo impact printers. The company markets software and other components that provide professionals with complete solutions. Roland DG's "Digital Value Engineering" (DVE) employs the latest digital technology to improve the company's business workflow processes. Integral to DVE, Roland DG has replaced its conventional production lines with a digitally-controlled system entitled Digital Yatai. Roland's Digital Yatai production technology features guided on-screen instructions and other automated systems that enable individuals to produce Roland DG inkjet printers and other products in an unassisted manner while preventing human errors. Roland DG is ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 9001:2000 certified. The company strives to protect the environment while maintaining the highest quality standards.